ANNOUNCEMENT LIST FOR SF GREEN PARTY Send Announcement items to news@sfgreens.org. Please keep items brief; submissions may be edited for length and content. ____________________ SPECIAL GREEN EVENT: * Green Party Presidential Debate: Jan. 13, 2 p.m., $10-$25 donation at the door (sliding scale) Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. Debating the issues of the day are candidates running in the Green Party primary: Jared Ball, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay and Ralph Nader. Volunteers are needed to make this exciting event great. If you can help, please contact Jim Dorenkott at jimdorenkott2@yahoo.com. A limited number of box seats are available for an additional donation: Contact Jim if you are interested. For more information about the debate, contact John Morton at jlm108@yahoo.com or visit http://www.acgreens.org/debate. ____________________ EVENTS (San Francisco, unless otherwise noted) * International Day of Protests to Shutdown Guantanamo and Stop Torture: Friday, Jan. 11, 4 - 6 p.m. Candlelight vigil and procession starting at 7th and Mission streets. For more information, visit http://www.actagainsttorture.org/events.html#Gitmo6 or http://www.aclu.org/safefree/detention/closeguantanamo.html?rsc=kos * Help the Green Party of California Plan for 2008: Saturday, Jan. 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., $10 First Presbyterian Church 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto All GPCA members are invited to a one-day meeting hosted by Standing Committee and Working Group coordinators to discuss planning for 2008, including how different SC and WG projects can be coordinated in a presidential election year. Snacks and beverages provided. For more information, visit http://www.cagreens.org/action/StrategyMeeting.20070112.shtml, or contact Michael Borenstein at thebor@jps.net or 530-620.6659. * Green Party Presidential Debate: Jan. 13, 2 p.m. (See Special Green Event listing above) Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. * Green Party General Membership Meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 7:30-9:30 p.m. 1028-A Howard Street (between 6th and 7th streets) http://www.sfgreenparty.org Agenda Facilitators: John-Marc Chandonia and Christina Olague 1. Introductions/explanation of consensus process 2. Health Care for All -- Steve Zeltzer (30 minutes) 3. DEA policy statement and draft resolution to give to Ross for introduction to the Board of Supervisors; decision item (30 minutes) 4. Zoo -- Marc and Animal Advocacy Working Group (20 minutes) 5. Rent control/affordable housing discussion -- Christina Olague and possibly Ted Gullicksen and other presenters (30 minutes) 6. Announcements: - BACORR Pro-Choice Rally -- January 19 (see below) - Working group lists are needed for active membership list - Sustainer pitch * 23rd Annual Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival: Jan. 18-20 SEIU Local 1021/"Five to One" building, across street from 350 Kansas St. (between 16th and 17th streets), Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s contribution to the civil rights and labor movements. A weekend of solidarity in an era of war, racism, and hard times. For more information email Kendyll Stansbury at kendyll_s@yahoo.com, or visit www.docspopuli.org/WesternWorkers.html. * Reproductive Justice for All: Jan. 18-19 We have the permit for Justin Herman Plaza, the same day 10,000 right wingers from the far reaches of California slither into town for their annual “Walk for LifeWest Coast.” Now they're even expanding and having a march in the East Bay on Friday Jan. 18. Let's give them a real Bay Area Welcome! We’re taking back our public space from the Religious Right! We need you to join us in sending the message that the Bay Area stands for reproductive rights, and that Roe v. Wade must be defended and expanded, especially on this, the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade. How does one keep up with a group of 10,000 right wingers who are here to waggle their fingers in our collective face? Bikes are one option. For more info, visit http://www.bacorr.org, http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/10/18471438.php, or email BACORR@gmail.com. * Conference on Global Warming: Wednesday: Jan. 30, 9 am to 9 pm & Thursday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. SFSU, 1600 Holloway Ave., Jack Adams Hall This free, two-day event features world-class speakers, such as Van Jones, expert panels, a roundtable discussion with elected representatives and a live satellite webcast featuring Hunter Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute and many others. For more info: http://bss.sfsu.edu/envstudies/climate.html or call 415-405-0326. * SFSU Focus the Nation Teach-in: Jan. 30-31 Across the country over 1000 campuses will take part in the largest teach-in on climate change in U.S. history. Keynote speakers include environmental-justice advocate and green-jobs pioneer Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Michael Glantz, senior researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and American Indian ecologist Dennis Martinez. For SFSU information: http://bss.sfsu.edu/envstudies/climate.html For UC Berkeley information: http://bie.berkeley.edu/ftn * Chicago to Host 2008 National Green Party Convention: July 10-13, 2008 http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1601 _____________________ NEWS Why I Believe Bush Must Go: Nixon Was Bad, but These Guys Are Worse -- by Former Presidential Candidate George McGovern http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010404... Maryland Drops Out of Electoral College: First State to Pass the National Popular Vote Into Law http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3457/dropping_out_of_electoral_college/ Medical Cannabis Patients Seek Support of SF Mayor http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/18/18467772.php The Inconvenient Truth in the 2008 Election Campaign -- by Ellen Goodman http://action.credomobile.com/commentary/2007/12/the_inconvenient_truth_in_t... Off-Guard Awards for the dumbest, lamest, most pitiful and most bizarre moments of a year that's finally, finally over http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=5326&volume_id=317&issue_id=332&volum... The Top 10 Comedic News Stories of 2007 http://action.credomobile.com/commentary/2007/12/the_top_10_comedic_news_sto... _____________________ The Green Party of California is always looking for interested California Greens to serve at the national level of the state party. The only strict requirement is that you be a registered Green in California. The next couple of years should be a very exciting time in the Green Party at the national level, so it will be a very interesting time, and a good reason for YOUR input! We prefer those who have served in some capacity at the state and/or county party level and will ask for a referral from a state or county representative, if we're not familiar with your Green Party activity. We strongly encourage those who self-identify as a minority, whether by region, gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, or disability. California has 42 Delegate seats and 42 Alternate seats at present. We anticipate at least 10 open seats for delegates and about 30 open seats for alternates. If current alternates wish to become delegates, they need to submit an application as well. Several delegates and alternates will be needing to run for reelection if they wish to continue with the delegation. There will be elections by the General Assembly at the GPCA Plenary in Alameda County on March 22-23, 2008 to fill out those seats. Get your applications in NOW to applications@cagreens.org. LETTERS OF APPLICATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE GPCA Coordinating Committee (GPCA-CC) by Jan. 21 to be in compliance with our bylaws. An editable application can be found at http://www.cagreens.org/cc/co-cos/application_gpus_delegation.rtf We apologize for the late notice...you have less than three weeks to apply. We have been very busy organizing the Presidential Debate in San Francisco on January 13. BIOGRAPHIES MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE GPCA-CC by that date in order to be forwarded to the counties, to be reviewed by the current delegation and to be submitted as part of the Plenary Packet. You may also submit an optional campaign statement. The CC announcement of these openings and relevant by-laws can be found at http://www.cagreens.org/cc/co-cos/notice_gpus_delegation_2007.php Please send your bio to the CA Delegation Co-chairs, as well. You can find more information and a roster on the delegation's website http://cagreens.org/delegates/ as well as job descriptions, relevant by-laws, etc., links to bios of current delegates, etc. Feel free to contact the Co-Chairs with your questions. Being a GPCA delegate to the National Committee is a two year commitment. Most of our business is done by email and at a monthly teleconference. We also have meetings at a state plenary, usually two-three times each year, and we have a major meeting at the GPUS Annual National Meeting each year. It is hoped that delegates can attend at least one, if not both, of the ANM that occur during their two year term. Note that the GPUS Annual National Meeting will be held in Chicago, IL, July 10-13. All Greens are welcome to come as observers, even if you are not a delegate. http://www.gpanc.org And don't forget that if you are elected now, you will be part of the delegation at the annual meeting that is part of the Presidential convention in 2008. However, being a delegate to the National Committee of GPUS is NOT the same thing as being a delegate to the nominating convention, though many on the NC delegation have also applied to be a nominating convention delegate. The procedure to become a nominating convention delegate is described on the cagreens.org website. There was a deadline of December 7, 2007, but there is a possibility that more applications will be taken in January 2008, but approval to accept those applications still needs to be established, either by the GPCA CC or by the General Assembly at our March plenary. Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you. Sanda Everette - sanda@greens.org Greg Jan - gregjan4@yahoo.com GPCA California Delegation to GPUS, Co-Chairs ___________________ BECOME A SUSTAINER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO GREEN PARTY! The San Francisco Green Party is engaged in numerous financially intensive activities/events, including our first-ever election newspaper with the SFGP's candidate and proposition endorsements for the recent November election. We distributed the paper to every registered Green in San Francisco, which set us back thousands of dollars in mailing, production and printing costs. Please help in our fundraising efforts by becoming a Green Party sustainer, or making a one-time donation! Your generous contributions now will help us finish the year on strong financial footing and get a jump-start on the 2008 elections. Please help us remain solvent by donating now! http://www.sfgreenparty.org/makeadonation/makeadonation.html _______________________________________________ San Francisco Green Party Announcement List To unsubscribe, go here: http://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/announce